SGA FIC: FOREIGN CONCEPTS [CHAPTER 7]
Jul. 22nd, 2009 11:29 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
x_erikah_xWhat the hell. Since I've got noting to do at the moment, I'll just post another chapter... I was trying to catch up on GW, but damn connection is making the pages show up with bugs. And I don't mean the Iratus kind that like to whump Shep. I guess I'll have to give up and continue later... Meanwhile I also wrote a couple hundred words, that probably will never see the light of day, but anyway...
Title: Foreign Concepts
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
x_erikah_x
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Violence and torture
Word Count: ~26,000 in 11 chapters
Genre: Gen, H/C, Action, team friendship
Characters: John Sheppard, Rodney McKay, Teyla Emmagan, Ronon Dex and other cameos
Spoilers: Set at the end of season five, but no specific spoilers
Disclaimer: Stargate and its characters belong to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. No infringements of rights is intented.
Beta: Many thanks towildcat88. All remaining mistakes are mine.
Author’s Note: The full fic has 11 chapters, all finished and edited. I’ll post daily until it’s finished.
Summary: When the team first arrives on Milania, they are impressed with their level of accomplishment. The feeling soon fades when they discover how deep their xenophobia goes.
Ronon growled as he glared at the guard's back. Beside him, Sheppard was slightly hunched, his face tight and dark as he shook his head. Ronon looked down at his arm, seeing the white knuckles of Sheppard’s strong grip.
Ronon wanted to smash the bastard guard's face for what he had done. The man who had been unconscious next to them until a few seconds ago was now being taken away from the mines. Ronon shook with rage. It was only the sight of Sheppard curved and breathing fast from the exertion of keeping himself upright that kept Ronon at bay.
"C'mon, buddy." Sheppard shook his head toward the location they had been mining before the distraction had happened, and started walking slowly. "We need to finish these buckets in order to try to find Rodney again."
Ronon rumbled a response and followed. Sheppard sat down to mine the rocks close to the ground while Ronon stopped almost on top of him. He stood, half covering Sheppard's body to block the sight from any passing guards who didn't like seeing anything that resembled a form of rest. It had worked for the most part, but Sheppard had to stand up from time to time to allow some circulation to his legs.
He looked stronger now, as if he had slept for most of the night and had also eaten more than the usual share of porridge if the women had the opportunity to give him an extra helping. Sheppard didn't refuse unless he felt the presence of a guard threatening to pass closer. The women smiled and nodded politely, looking scared as they passed by the men watching. Sheppard followed them with the corner of his eyes until they managed to evade them unharmed. Ronon was just as subtle as he kept watch of his friend's condition. Ronon figured it wasn't as bad as it had been the day before because Sheppard no longer flexed his fingers and he appeared not to experience any more waves of dizziness.
Ronon tossed the last two chunks of mineral into Sheppard's bucket and earned a sudden glance from him as if he had been startled. Ronon cleared his throat to apologize and extended a hand to help Sheppard up. He groaned as he got to his feet but didn't waver when he finally stood. Each took his own bucket and followed the main corridor out of the mines.
###
John was very thankful Ronon was there to watch his back. Without his help filling buckets and shielding John's body from the passing guards, he would probably be in far worse shape. The way progress was going, he wasn't sure they would cover enough ground to find Rodney, if he was even in the mines, but John didn't want to separate from Ronon. Ronon wouldn't let him go anyway.
They dumped their rocks on the pile and turned around, eager to get back into the mine. John tried his best not to show his weakened state, and today that wasn't as hard as it had been before. His limbs no longer shook and his muscles felt more like cooperating with his will. He was still far from top shape, his chest hurt with each breath, and he was a lot more comfortable sitting down, or better yet, lying down, but at least he didn't walk like a drunk anymore.
He felt a tap on his shoulder and turned his head to see Ronon waving at an unused corridor. John had been in there before. It was a dead end with only a noisy machine at the end. He was about to open his mouth to speak when Ronon pulled his arm and led them both inside.
"Ronon?" He kept his voice barely below a whisper.
Ronon kept on walking. "This is where Rodney told me to go the other day."
"For what?"
Ronon turned his head briefly. "His plan."
###
Teyla stilled her breathing when she entered the warehouse. Several trucks were parked there and being loaded with crates while dirty men came and went through the opening at the far wall. The inside was dark and she couldn't distinguish the shapes moving inside as she peeked from the large deposit.
The group of women was led to a small room at the corner. Large bags of cereal were piled at the center and huge pans were on the tables on the corners. There was also a pile of small pots that had straps on them and a lot of cups next to them. The women promptly started working on the pans, filling them with water and Teyla went in to help.
After four large pans of broth were made, they started filling the smaller pots. When they were done, Teyla strapped one to her waist and followed Milin and Bina into the muddy descent of the mine.
"You can walk freely in the mines, but be careful," Milin whispered as she glanced around for guards. "Each man can get one serving. They cannot rest and we are not allowed to speak."
Teyla approached Milin's ear. "I need to find John."
Milin lowered her head as a guard passed by. Teyla fell behind, but soon caught up when there were no more guards.
"I will tell him you are here if I see him," Milin whispered as looked at Bina, who nodded.
Teyla gently squeezed their shoulders as a silent thank you and headed to the first corridor on the right. It would be easier to find her team if she followed a pattern.
###
Rodney knelt down next to his favorite ventilator. He had purposely left this one for later so he could gather some more oil from around the mine and then spend as long as he could fixing this problematic piece of equipment. He had oiled this ventilator poorly the last few days and now could see, and also hear, how it strained to work. It was the perfect excuse because he didn't need to lie about it being broken.
He shook his head. "I-I'll... uh..." Rodney closed his eyes and swallowed. He cleared his throat and tried again. "Th-this could take some time." He nodded. "It's...uh..." He waved at the machine.
The guard rolled his eyes and withdrew to the far wall.
"Right..." Rodney said before going to work.
He took a moment to stare at the ventilator. Rodney had collected wires, old used oil, a crude motherboard and a couple of combustion engine pieces. If he connected those to the right parts of the ventilator and if he had enough power, he could make something that would go boom. The oil would be a good fuel. He rubbed his hands and started the task.
He was halfway done when he got distracted by the scuff of footsteps right behind him. He swallowed and froze in place when they stopped. What if the guards noticed? Rodney slowly turned back.
He nearly melted in relief when he saw Sheppard and Ronon standing by the wall right next to his back, mining silently.
Rodney glanced at the guard who was supposed to be watching him. He was staring at the ceiling and looking bored out of his skull. Rodney almost smiled in pride. He surreptitiously looked up at Sheppard who was also looking down at him, a smile forming in his lips. Sheppard looked tired and was slightly bent to one side with dried blood on the side of his head, under a crust of dirt and slime.
Are you okay? Sheppard mouthed.
Rodney nodded frantically and glanced back at the guard. He turned to Sheppard. I have a plan, he mouthed back.
What plan?
A bomb. Rodney looked over his shoulder again. It's almost ready.
Sheppard raised an eyebrow. How long?
Rodney put an open hand up. Five minutes. Then we need to go. Rodney moved his fingers back and forth in a walking motion.
What about Teyla?
I haven't seen her.
"Water?"
Rodney jumped at the female voice. He turned around to look at who was responsible for nearly giving him a heart attack, and almost had another one when he saw Teyla. He squeaked out loud and covered his mouth to muffle the sound.
"Sure," Sheppard said casually. Are you okay?
Teyla nodded and smiled. She dipped the cup into the porridge and gave it to Sheppard.
Before taking the cup, Sheppard looked at Rodney. Get to work!
Rodney nodded and immersed himself in finishing his task.
###
Ronon watched as Sheppard drank slowly then glanced at the single guard. Sheppard looked back and Ronon nodded, smiling. Ronon smirked, picked up his empty bucket and walked towards the man. After Ronon passed him, he dropped his bucket and wrapped an arm around the officer's neck. The guard choked in silence as Ronon squeezed more. Limbs batted blindly until they sagged and the man dropped unconscious.
Ronon searched the guard for weapons. He found a knife and gave it to Sheppard and left the rod with Teyla. He picked up the keys for the chains and freed his team.
"How long, Rodney?" Sheppard asked.
"Uh, just a minute."
Rodney worked swiftly under the stress, as Ronon had figured he would. Ronon walked a couple of meters ahead in the corridor to keep an eye for passing guards.
"C'mon, Rodney. We don't have all the time in the world," Sheppard hurried in whispers.
"I know!" Rodney responded in the same tone. "I just need..."
"Shhh." Ronon waved a hand at his team. He had seen a shadow in the distant light. "Someone's coming."
Ronon stepped back and helped Sheppard drag the unconscious body out of sight. They hurried to stand some distance away and turned back against the mine wall, pretending to work while Teyla gave some broth to Rodney. Ronon coiled as one guard passed behind him. In a quick motion that surprised Ronon, Sheppard turned around, grabbed the man's neck as he covered his mouth and stabbed him right in the heart. The man was dead in seconds.
"How much longer?" Sheppard asked in a low angry voice.
Rodney swallowed. "Almost there."
Ronon took the second baton and knife, giving the first to Rodney and keeping the second.
Rodney stood and nodded. "Okay, it's done. As soon as I press this valve, it'll start to overload. I don't know how long we'll have or how big it's going to be. It's all dumb luck."
Sheppard looked back at their corridor. "Great. Let's go!" He looked back at Rodney. "Don't hesitate before using that thing." He waved at the stick Rodney held tightly on his hand and received a frantic nod in response.
Ronon smiled as he felt the adrenaline flow. He paced ahead, knife firm in his hand, Sheppard closely behind him. Ronon stopped briefly at a curve and continued quickly ahead when the coast was clear. He slowed down when they got closer to the busier corridor, watching left and right for the guards. As he imagined, there were at least two groups. Ronon stepped back into the shadow as three guards came in their direction. He glanced at Sheppard and Teyla and the three of them nodded.
It happened fast. Ronon jumped from his concealment and grabbed the first officer across from his chest, stabbing his back. He turned around swiftly and elbowed Sheppard's guard in the chest as Teyla knocked hers unconscious with a well placed baton hit to his head.
The three other guards immediately started running to the team's position while prisoners either froze in place or ran away in panic. Ronon dashed out and met his opponent, blocking the rod waving toward him and piercing the side of the man's chest with the knife, kicking his legs at the same time. The man fell on his back and Ronon jumped on top of him, concentrating his weight on his knee and crushing several ribs before digging the blade into his neck.
He stood up and looked around, finding Sheppard struggling with a guard in hand-to-hand combat. Both men had lost their weapons and lunged at each other. Sheppard crashed against the wall and looked dazed as his assailant moved to attack again. Ronon ran and tackled the guard to the ground. The enemy kicked Ronon's weapon away in the wrestle that followed, but remained under Ronon's bigger body. Ronon punched his face several times, blood spilling out of the guard's mouth and nose until his eyes rolled back in his head.
When Ronon stood, Teyla had just finished with her adversary and Sheppard was clutching his side, supported against the wall.
"You okay?" Ronon asked.
Sheppard took a couple of breaths and nodded. "We have to keep going." He pushed himself away and started towards the entrance.
Ronon hurried to pass him and saw more guards ahead in the corridor, all of them busy fighting off the prisoners who decided to join the rebellion, while other workers simply ran off.
The team was able to pass by, hurrying the doubtful men along and helping the slower ones. They were making their way along the narrow corridor when they were slammed by a wave of people running from the mine. Ronon saw several people sliding on the muddy incline and falling back while he was pushed ahead. He forcefully slowed down to look for Rodney who had disappeared behind. Teyla was helping Sheppard and keeping him from falling from the horde that ran and screamed. Ronon made his way back and tripped on something that he immediately discovered to be Rodney crouched down, protecting his head as people passed through.
He helped Rodney up, who looked at him with a pair of very scared but thankful eyes. Both men waited for Sheppard and Teyla then kept an eye out for each other as they made their way out.
A loud rumble resonated from within the mines as dirt rained down on their heads and the ground started to shake. Another explosion came, followed by another one and everything turned dark.
###
Chapter 8
Title: Foreign Concepts
Author:
x_erikah_xRating: PG-13
Warnings: Violence and torture
Word Count: ~26,000 in 11 chapters
Genre: Gen, H/C, Action, team friendship
Characters: John Sheppard, Rodney McKay, Teyla Emmagan, Ronon Dex and other cameos
Spoilers: Set at the end of season five, but no specific spoilers
Disclaimer: Stargate and its characters belong to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. No infringements of rights is intented.
Beta: Many thanks to
wildcat88. All remaining mistakes are mine. Author’s Note: The full fic has 11 chapters, all finished and edited. I’ll post daily until it’s finished.
Summary: When the team first arrives on Milania, they are impressed with their level of accomplishment. The feeling soon fades when they discover how deep their xenophobia goes.
Chapter 7
Ronon growled as he glared at the guard's back. Beside him, Sheppard was slightly hunched, his face tight and dark as he shook his head. Ronon looked down at his arm, seeing the white knuckles of Sheppard’s strong grip.
Ronon wanted to smash the bastard guard's face for what he had done. The man who had been unconscious next to them until a few seconds ago was now being taken away from the mines. Ronon shook with rage. It was only the sight of Sheppard curved and breathing fast from the exertion of keeping himself upright that kept Ronon at bay.
"C'mon, buddy." Sheppard shook his head toward the location they had been mining before the distraction had happened, and started walking slowly. "We need to finish these buckets in order to try to find Rodney again."
Ronon rumbled a response and followed. Sheppard sat down to mine the rocks close to the ground while Ronon stopped almost on top of him. He stood, half covering Sheppard's body to block the sight from any passing guards who didn't like seeing anything that resembled a form of rest. It had worked for the most part, but Sheppard had to stand up from time to time to allow some circulation to his legs.
He looked stronger now, as if he had slept for most of the night and had also eaten more than the usual share of porridge if the women had the opportunity to give him an extra helping. Sheppard didn't refuse unless he felt the presence of a guard threatening to pass closer. The women smiled and nodded politely, looking scared as they passed by the men watching. Sheppard followed them with the corner of his eyes until they managed to evade them unharmed. Ronon was just as subtle as he kept watch of his friend's condition. Ronon figured it wasn't as bad as it had been the day before because Sheppard no longer flexed his fingers and he appeared not to experience any more waves of dizziness.
Ronon tossed the last two chunks of mineral into Sheppard's bucket and earned a sudden glance from him as if he had been startled. Ronon cleared his throat to apologize and extended a hand to help Sheppard up. He groaned as he got to his feet but didn't waver when he finally stood. Each took his own bucket and followed the main corridor out of the mines.
John was very thankful Ronon was there to watch his back. Without his help filling buckets and shielding John's body from the passing guards, he would probably be in far worse shape. The way progress was going, he wasn't sure they would cover enough ground to find Rodney, if he was even in the mines, but John didn't want to separate from Ronon. Ronon wouldn't let him go anyway.
They dumped their rocks on the pile and turned around, eager to get back into the mine. John tried his best not to show his weakened state, and today that wasn't as hard as it had been before. His limbs no longer shook and his muscles felt more like cooperating with his will. He was still far from top shape, his chest hurt with each breath, and he was a lot more comfortable sitting down, or better yet, lying down, but at least he didn't walk like a drunk anymore.
He felt a tap on his shoulder and turned his head to see Ronon waving at an unused corridor. John had been in there before. It was a dead end with only a noisy machine at the end. He was about to open his mouth to speak when Ronon pulled his arm and led them both inside.
"Ronon?" He kept his voice barely below a whisper.
Ronon kept on walking. "This is where Rodney told me to go the other day."
"For what?"
Ronon turned his head briefly. "His plan."
Teyla stilled her breathing when she entered the warehouse. Several trucks were parked there and being loaded with crates while dirty men came and went through the opening at the far wall. The inside was dark and she couldn't distinguish the shapes moving inside as she peeked from the large deposit.
The group of women was led to a small room at the corner. Large bags of cereal were piled at the center and huge pans were on the tables on the corners. There was also a pile of small pots that had straps on them and a lot of cups next to them. The women promptly started working on the pans, filling them with water and Teyla went in to help.
After four large pans of broth were made, they started filling the smaller pots. When they were done, Teyla strapped one to her waist and followed Milin and Bina into the muddy descent of the mine.
"You can walk freely in the mines, but be careful," Milin whispered as she glanced around for guards. "Each man can get one serving. They cannot rest and we are not allowed to speak."
Teyla approached Milin's ear. "I need to find John."
Milin lowered her head as a guard passed by. Teyla fell behind, but soon caught up when there were no more guards.
"I will tell him you are here if I see him," Milin whispered as looked at Bina, who nodded.
Teyla gently squeezed their shoulders as a silent thank you and headed to the first corridor on the right. It would be easier to find her team if she followed a pattern.
Rodney knelt down next to his favorite ventilator. He had purposely left this one for later so he could gather some more oil from around the mine and then spend as long as he could fixing this problematic piece of equipment. He had oiled this ventilator poorly the last few days and now could see, and also hear, how it strained to work. It was the perfect excuse because he didn't need to lie about it being broken.
He shook his head. "I-I'll... uh..." Rodney closed his eyes and swallowed. He cleared his throat and tried again. "Th-this could take some time." He nodded. "It's...uh..." He waved at the machine.
The guard rolled his eyes and withdrew to the far wall.
"Right..." Rodney said before going to work.
He took a moment to stare at the ventilator. Rodney had collected wires, old used oil, a crude motherboard and a couple of combustion engine pieces. If he connected those to the right parts of the ventilator and if he had enough power, he could make something that would go boom. The oil would be a good fuel. He rubbed his hands and started the task.
He was halfway done when he got distracted by the scuff of footsteps right behind him. He swallowed and froze in place when they stopped. What if the guards noticed? Rodney slowly turned back.
He nearly melted in relief when he saw Sheppard and Ronon standing by the wall right next to his back, mining silently.
Rodney glanced at the guard who was supposed to be watching him. He was staring at the ceiling and looking bored out of his skull. Rodney almost smiled in pride. He surreptitiously looked up at Sheppard who was also looking down at him, a smile forming in his lips. Sheppard looked tired and was slightly bent to one side with dried blood on the side of his head, under a crust of dirt and slime.
Are you okay? Sheppard mouthed.
Rodney nodded frantically and glanced back at the guard. He turned to Sheppard. I have a plan, he mouthed back.
What plan?
A bomb. Rodney looked over his shoulder again. It's almost ready.
Sheppard raised an eyebrow. How long?
Rodney put an open hand up. Five minutes. Then we need to go. Rodney moved his fingers back and forth in a walking motion.
What about Teyla?
I haven't seen her.
"Water?"
Rodney jumped at the female voice. He turned around to look at who was responsible for nearly giving him a heart attack, and almost had another one when he saw Teyla. He squeaked out loud and covered his mouth to muffle the sound.
"Sure," Sheppard said casually. Are you okay?
Teyla nodded and smiled. She dipped the cup into the porridge and gave it to Sheppard.
Before taking the cup, Sheppard looked at Rodney. Get to work!
Rodney nodded and immersed himself in finishing his task.
Ronon watched as Sheppard drank slowly then glanced at the single guard. Sheppard looked back and Ronon nodded, smiling. Ronon smirked, picked up his empty bucket and walked towards the man. After Ronon passed him, he dropped his bucket and wrapped an arm around the officer's neck. The guard choked in silence as Ronon squeezed more. Limbs batted blindly until they sagged and the man dropped unconscious.
Ronon searched the guard for weapons. He found a knife and gave it to Sheppard and left the rod with Teyla. He picked up the keys for the chains and freed his team.
"How long, Rodney?" Sheppard asked.
"Uh, just a minute."
Rodney worked swiftly under the stress, as Ronon had figured he would. Ronon walked a couple of meters ahead in the corridor to keep an eye for passing guards.
"C'mon, Rodney. We don't have all the time in the world," Sheppard hurried in whispers.
"I know!" Rodney responded in the same tone. "I just need..."
"Shhh." Ronon waved a hand at his team. He had seen a shadow in the distant light. "Someone's coming."
Ronon stepped back and helped Sheppard drag the unconscious body out of sight. They hurried to stand some distance away and turned back against the mine wall, pretending to work while Teyla gave some broth to Rodney. Ronon coiled as one guard passed behind him. In a quick motion that surprised Ronon, Sheppard turned around, grabbed the man's neck as he covered his mouth and stabbed him right in the heart. The man was dead in seconds.
"How much longer?" Sheppard asked in a low angry voice.
Rodney swallowed. "Almost there."
Ronon took the second baton and knife, giving the first to Rodney and keeping the second.
Rodney stood and nodded. "Okay, it's done. As soon as I press this valve, it'll start to overload. I don't know how long we'll have or how big it's going to be. It's all dumb luck."
Sheppard looked back at their corridor. "Great. Let's go!" He looked back at Rodney. "Don't hesitate before using that thing." He waved at the stick Rodney held tightly on his hand and received a frantic nod in response.
Ronon smiled as he felt the adrenaline flow. He paced ahead, knife firm in his hand, Sheppard closely behind him. Ronon stopped briefly at a curve and continued quickly ahead when the coast was clear. He slowed down when they got closer to the busier corridor, watching left and right for the guards. As he imagined, there were at least two groups. Ronon stepped back into the shadow as three guards came in their direction. He glanced at Sheppard and Teyla and the three of them nodded.
It happened fast. Ronon jumped from his concealment and grabbed the first officer across from his chest, stabbing his back. He turned around swiftly and elbowed Sheppard's guard in the chest as Teyla knocked hers unconscious with a well placed baton hit to his head.
The three other guards immediately started running to the team's position while prisoners either froze in place or ran away in panic. Ronon dashed out and met his opponent, blocking the rod waving toward him and piercing the side of the man's chest with the knife, kicking his legs at the same time. The man fell on his back and Ronon jumped on top of him, concentrating his weight on his knee and crushing several ribs before digging the blade into his neck.
He stood up and looked around, finding Sheppard struggling with a guard in hand-to-hand combat. Both men had lost their weapons and lunged at each other. Sheppard crashed against the wall and looked dazed as his assailant moved to attack again. Ronon ran and tackled the guard to the ground. The enemy kicked Ronon's weapon away in the wrestle that followed, but remained under Ronon's bigger body. Ronon punched his face several times, blood spilling out of the guard's mouth and nose until his eyes rolled back in his head.
When Ronon stood, Teyla had just finished with her adversary and Sheppard was clutching his side, supported against the wall.
"You okay?" Ronon asked.
Sheppard took a couple of breaths and nodded. "We have to keep going." He pushed himself away and started towards the entrance.
Ronon hurried to pass him and saw more guards ahead in the corridor, all of them busy fighting off the prisoners who decided to join the rebellion, while other workers simply ran off.
The team was able to pass by, hurrying the doubtful men along and helping the slower ones. They were making their way along the narrow corridor when they were slammed by a wave of people running from the mine. Ronon saw several people sliding on the muddy incline and falling back while he was pushed ahead. He forcefully slowed down to look for Rodney who had disappeared behind. Teyla was helping Sheppard and keeping him from falling from the horde that ran and screamed. Ronon made his way back and tripped on something that he immediately discovered to be Rodney crouched down, protecting his head as people passed through.
He helped Rodney up, who looked at him with a pair of very scared but thankful eyes. Both men waited for Sheppard and Teyla then kept an eye out for each other as they made their way out.
A loud rumble resonated from within the mines as dirt rained down on their heads and the ground started to shake. Another explosion came, followed by another one and everything turned dark.
Chapter 8
